MERS/Goodwill's Juvenile Offender Transition Program

The OJJDP FY 09 Earmarks Programs further the Department's mission by providing grants, cooperative agreements, and other assistance authorized by the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act of 1974, as amended, to organizations identified in the Explanatory Statement Regarding H.R. 1105 (Omnibus Appropriations Act, 2009), 155 Cong. Rec. H1653 (daily ed. Feb. 23, 2009) (statement by Rep. Obey, Chairman of the Committee on Appropriations of the House).

The purpose of MERS/Goodwill's Juvenile Offender Transition Program is to improve outcomes for youth who have been academically unsuccessful and inadequately prepared to succeed in the work place. The Program serves adolescent males and females between the age of 14 and 17years old. Clients are almost unanimously City of St. Louis residents (99%), from low-income households in high crime neighborhoods, at high risk for repeated court-involvement/incarceration, abuse/neglect, chemical dependency, and early mortality. The Juvenile Offender Transition Program provides comprehensive services to at-risk youth in three areas: 1) employment-focused case management, 2) onsite group therapy with mental health referral, and 3) re-enrollment in school/enrollment in GED program. NCA/NCF